Swiss Army Knife Classic improved (?)

This isn't exactly new news, but it was new to me. Victorinox now offers something called the Nail Clip 580. It's essentially the Classic with a nail clipper grafted onto it. You can look at them on the Victorinox website or at Amazon. I got one for Christmas and have yet to take it on the trail (too cold!), but it's worked very well in daily use. (I alternate between the SAK Classic and a Gerber LST UL plus nail clipper plus tweezers plus Fiskars folding scissors - depends on the trip and my mood at the time.)

It has all the tools the Classic has, except there's no screwdriver on the nail file (instead, the nail file comes to a point - cuticle tool? - but I think you could easily turn that point into a screwdriver. To recap: the Clip 580 has tweezers, toothpick, knife, scissors, nail file, and nail clipper. That covers everything I've ever used on the trail (never used the Classic screwdriver) and gives you a pretty full range of functional personal care/first aid tools. The Clip 580 weighs maybe half an ounce more than the Classic (I don't have a scale that will register the difference), but is definitely lighter than a separate nail clipper.

If you like the Classic as your backpacking knife (and that "if" can generate hours of discussion in camp), take a look at the Clip 580.

Of course I looked this up. It looks like it has slightly serrated scissors. Does it? If so, how do you like them?

Also, if the clippers were folded out (but not fully deployed), could they serve as an extended handle while using the blade? Or would the clipper blades pinch your hand?

I just checked, and you're right - there is a very slight serration on the scissors. I got my Classic out, and there's no serration - so I did some test cutting. First, paper: the cut from each scissors seems identical; there is no serrated cut on the paper. Then I tried moleskin (the only other thing I typically cut on the trail): the Classic scissors cut moleskin clean and easily, but the Clip 580 scissors would not cut moleskin at all.

If you deploy the clippers, but don't "flip" the clipper handle over (so it will make the clipper motion), it does make the handle longer. Not sure why I'd need to do that, though.

I did some additional checking at Victorinox and Amazon, and they also sell the clippers by themselves, in two varieties: the clippers with a small red plastic handle on one end, and the clippers inside a Classic-style body (complete with tweezers and toothpick.) The clippers really do work well, so I may order the separate clippers, which weigh less than the drugstore clippers I was using. (Combining the clippers with a Classic, and I'll get my screwdriver back!)

I have one of these and while it does work, the Classic is still my go-to carry knife. For me, the Classic is as thick a knife as I want in my pocket and traditional nail clippers, which I much prefer for clipping nails, don't weigh too much in the pack.

I was asking about the handle because the Classic is just a little too small for me to grip effectively.

I recently got an Ambassador, which is basically just a slightly larger Classic. I keep a tiny carabiner on it to loop my pinky through when using it, and to hang it inside my pocket.

I have heard that some folks like the serrated scissors better, but I haven't had a chance to try any.